Matthew 7 Commentary

The Gospel of Matthew was written to demonstrate to the Jews of Jesus, the Messiah’s generation that He was indeed the Christ. Matthew thematically substantiates the Messianic identity of Jesus beginning with the genealogy of Jesus, which ran from Abraham, the father of Israel’s people through King David who was promised to have a son who would be on Israel’s throne forever. Throughout his Gospel account Matthew makes use of numerous prophecies both explicitly stated and by way of subtle allusion to support his thesis. Matthew further makes use of parallel events in Jesus’s life to those of Messianic figures from the Old Testament (Moses, Joseph, David, etc.) to bolster his argument.

Jesus came to offer the Jews the chance to participate in the inauguration of the Messianic Kingdom. To do this, they would have to receive and follow Him as their Messiah. Jesus’s message was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Ultimately, they rejected Him as their Messiah and condemned Jesus to death by crucifixion. The Jews’ rejection of the Messiah opened the door for Gentiles to enter the kingdom (Matthew 8:11-12, 22:1-10). Matthew’s Gospel is therefore a call for the Jews repent of their murder of Jesus and to embrace Him for the divine Messiah He is.

Matthew shows how their rejection of Him and His brutal death was predicted not only by Jesus Himself, but also was foretold in the Jewish scriptures of the Messiah.

The main proof that Jesus was the Messiah was “the sign of Jonah” (Matthew 12:39, 16:4). This was Jesus’s death and resurrection from the dead. “Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40).

Because Matthew’s Gospel was written to people who were already members of God’s eternal family by virtue of their faith in God’s promise to send the Messiah, Matthew emphasizes the “reward of eternal life” (aka “The Prize of Eternal Life”) rather than “the Gift of Eternal Life”. In other words, Matthew’s Gospel focuses on how to “enter the kingdom” rather than how to “be born again”.

Matthew’s Gospel demonstrates how Jesus came to fulfill the law and open a way for God’s people to participate in the Messianic kingdom if they would follow His example of worshiping God from the heart by forgiving and serving others.

For “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). If we have faith to follow the example set forth by the resurrected Messiah, whom all authority on heaven and earth has been granted (Matthew 28:18) and take up our cross for His sake (Matthew 16:24-25), then we will become great in His kingdom (Matthew 20:26).

Finally, Matthew provides extensive samples of Jesus’s teachings including “the Sermon on the Mount”, “the Little Commission”, and “the Olivet Discourse” and many parables, alongside accounts of numerous miracles and wonders, personal moments with His twelve disciples, interactions with seekers, and increasingly as his Gospel account progresses: challenges and confrontations with His adversaries – the Pharisees, Scribes, and Priests.

Chapter 7 concludes the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus covers practical aspects of kingdom living. He covers how to approach faults in others. He emphasizes the mercy principle by asserting that how the disciples judge others will determine the “measuring stick” God will use to judge them. Whereas the model prayer in Chapter 6 largely focused on a disciple’s attitude, here Jesus covers how to approach God to make requests, believing that God has our best interest at heart. Jesus reiterates the Golden Rule, and warns to guard against false prophets who will lead His disciples astray from living kingdom principles, into ruin.

Jesus also makes it clear that living kingdom principles will not appear as the easy or natural path. In fact, He predicts few will follow kingdom principles. It will be more common for people to get sucked into following the world. The negative consequences will be severe. But Jesus makes clear throughout the Sermon on the Mount that God has gifted His people with the volition to freely choose whether to seek His kingdom and its rewards, or settle for the rewards of the world. Making good choices, following the narrow path, and avoiding false teachers will be like a man who builds a house on a firm foundation that withstands the floods of life. Following the wide path will be like a man who builds a house on sand, that will wash away when the storm rises. In each case, the focus is on rewards, consequences, rather than position in God’s family.

The Bible Project - Matthew Summary Pt. 1

The Bible Project - Matthew Summary Pt. 2